Canadian Warplanes 3-1: The Second World War Fighters, Bombers and Patrol Aircraft

Canadian Military Aircraft of the Second World War

Data current to 8 Sep 2019.

This aviation handbook is intended to provide the reader with a quick reference to identify the military aircraft flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Army during the Second World War. The handbooks in this series include a general description and a photograph from the Canadian Forces Archives of at least one of the key variants or marks of each aircraft that has been in Canadian service or used by Canadian servicemen overseas.Each aircraft is listed alphabetically by manufacturer, number and type. General details describing the aircrafts engines, service ceiling, speed, armament or weapons load are included, along with a brief description of the Canadian or allied squadron in which Canadian aircrews used the aircraft operationally. This is the third volume in the series. It describes fighters, bombers and patrol aircraft flown by Canadians during the war. A list of museums, private aircraft collections and other locations where survivors preserved and displayed is also included. The handbook is not a definitive list of all Canadian-manufactured or operated aircraft, but it should serve as a quick reminder of the major examples flown on duty for anyone with an interest in Canadian military aviation.

Bell P-39 Airacobra, No. 601 Squadron, RAF, ca 1941. None on the RCAF establishment, but a few were flown by RCAF aircrews overseas during the Second World War.

(RN Photo)

(RN Photo)

Blackburn Roc, Royal Navy. None on the RCN establishment, but many were flown by RCN aircrews overseas during the Second World War.

(RN Photo)

(RN Photo)

Blackburn Skua, Royal Navy. None on the RCN establishment, but a few were flown by RCN aircrews overseas during the Second World War.

Boulton P.82 Paul Defiant fighter. None were on the RCAF establishment, but many were flown by RCAF aircrews overseas during the Second World War. Defiants are listed on a separate page on this web site.

(RAF Photo)

(RAF Photo)

(RAF Photo)

(RAF Photo)

Brewster Buffalo, RAF. None were on the RCAF establishment, but a few were flown by RCAF aircrews serving with the RAF in the Far East during the Second World War. None are preserved in Canada.

(NMUSAF Photo)

Brewster Bermuda, RAF (Serial No. FF-741)

The RCAF acquired three Bermudas which were used at Suffield, Alberta, for "special" research operations. None are preserved in Canada. Deliveries of Brewster Bermudas to the RAF began in July 1942. The RAF judged that the type was unsuitable for combat, and most of the Bermudas delivered to the service were converted to target tugs. Five of the aircraft were transferred to the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navyfor assessment – four as dive bombersand one as a target towing tug. The USAAF received 108 Bermudas, which it designated the A-34 Buccaneer. The type was considered unsuitable even for training purposes, and was withdrawn from service in 1944. A single Buccaneer is preserved with the National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola NAS, Florida.

(NMNA Photo)

Brewster SB2A Buccaneer of the U.S. National Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensacola, Florida.

Bristol Blenheims and Bolingbrokes flown by the RCAF are listed on a separate page on this web site.

Bristol Beaufort and Bristol Beaufighter aircraft flown by the RCAF are listed on a separate page on this web site.

Consolidated Catalina and Canadian Vickers PBV-1A Canso A (Consolidated PBY-5A) aircraft flown by the RCAF are listed on a separate page on this web site.

Consolidated B-24 Liberators flown by the RCAF are listed on a separate page on this web site.

Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks flown by the RCAF are listed on a separate page on this web site.

(RN Photo)

(RN Photo)

Curtiss SO3C-1 Seamew Mk. I, Royal Navy (Serial No. FN475). Flown by the RN at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia during the war. None are preserved in Canada.

Curtiss SBW1 Helldiver, ca 1944. The Curtiss SBW1 Helldiver, Canadian built version of the SB2C-1. 38 were built by the Canadian Car & Foundry company at Fort William, Ontario during the war for the US Navy, but none were in service with the RCAF. SBW-1B, Canadian built version for lend-lease to the Royal Navy as the Helldiver I, 28 aircraft built by CCF, SBW-3, Canadian built version of the SB2C-3, 413 built by CCF, and the SBW-4E, 270 built by CCF. SBW-5, Canadian-built version of the SB2C-5, 85 built (165 cancelled) by the CCF.

There were 24 marks of Spitfire and many sub-variants. These covered the Spitfire in development from the Merlin to Griffonengines, the high-speed photo-reconnaissance variants and the different wing configurations. More Spitfire M.k Vs were built than any other type, with 6,487 built, followed by the 5,656 Mk. IXs. Different wings, featuring a variety of weapons, were fitted to most marks; the A wing used eight .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns, the B wing had four .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns and two 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano cannon, and the C, or universal, wing could mount either four 20 mm (.79 in) cannon or two 20 mm (.79 in) and four .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns. As the war progressed, the C wing became more common.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4950856)

A number of Canadian pilots flew with the Fleet Air Arm, most notably Lt (N) Robert Hampton Gray, VC, DSO. I found this shot in the Archives of a line-up of Fleet Air Arm aircraft at RNAS Mill Meece, HMS Fledgling ca 1943/44. The facility was used to train WRNS Air Mechanics (Ordnance) on FAA aircraft. The aircraft in this photo include a Supermarine Seafire Mk. I, a Vought Corsair, a Grumman Martlet, two Fairy Barracudas, and possibly a Hawker Sea Hurricane or Fairey Fulmar.